Thursday, December 29, 2011

Does one's body become stretched from staring too long at the stars? Raminder's physique and posture suggests he looks upwards the greater part of the time. In fact, he works at the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre here in Vancouver and through a telescope or on the planetarium's dome he has guided many a visitor on a stellar walk. That museum became the reception venue for his and Ravneet's wedding just after Christmas.

During the ceremony, Ravneet and Raminder spent the majority of the time with their heads bowed, eyes closed. This was a very long ceremony, no doubt, but one where every passage read by the Granthi and every note performed by the ragas carried so much weight. The ceremony was at the Sikh Academy in Surrey, a new temple that we really enjoyed filming in. There is quite a bit of light - enough for me to use my trusty 24-105 lens - and perfect slider platforms on either side of the guru. Also we were able to get perfect audio using one output from the sound board. That always makes my day.

Ravneet was extremely bright and chipper throughout the morning, and immediately called herself a bridezilla for making one small request. She and her friends fed on doughnuts and tried to keep inappropriate jokes to a minimum while watching the clock as they struggled with the chunni. Ravneet was so happy when we incorporated a few clips from her maiyan recorded by a friend. And it was funny to see how crazy people can get when the person filming them is someone they know!

The space centre is a great venue, and it was used perfectly for this wedding. Food was served in a beautiful space downstairs, keeping the exhibition space and planetarium upstairs just for dancing and the speeches and performances, respectively. Raminder begged to have the end time of the event extended, commenting that one hour of dancing is really not enough. There was just enough time for everyone to get down, despite a fire alarm and evacuation caused by the DJ's smoke machine! This is the second time we've had this happen at a wedding, and it's a great way to end the night!

Friday, December 2, 2011

A couple nights ago the entire BC wedding industry headed to Red Robinson Theatre to close out the season with the ultimate celebration. Hors d'oeuvres were consumed and gowns and suits were displayed as we all caught up and shared stories from the year. I got to hang out with some of my favourite people until settling into my seat for the show.

The Wedding Videography/Cinematography category came up and we were one of three finalists. Can you say tension? Have you ever been so nervous that you just wanted to move on and didn't care about the outcome? Yes, that was me. Having won last year, I felt like it wouldn't happen again. But in the end, the name announced was "Love Story Media"!!!

I can't really describe how it feels to be honoured in this way, with the whole wedding industry on hand. We are more excited than ever for our future weddings. Here is the video we submitted, Alden and Steven's stunning Whistler wedding.

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Sports analogies can make sense anywhere. How is a wedding like a sport? There are rules to follow, but only because they are rules. Meanwhile you get to do basically whatever else you want, however you want. Indian weddings are loaded with traditions, rules and requirements. It's no wonder that the majority of couples need to be guided through the many parts of their wedding, until finally reaching the point where they can switch to more western garb and kick it at their reception.

Naveen and Jeevan stressed to me how non-traditional they hoped their wedding would be. Jeevan, who simply described himself as a "sports guy," wasn't too thrilled about having to wear a turban, and as you'll see chose not to grow a beard for the wedding. First time we've seen that. However, you can sense his excitement and nervousness as he gives the rundown of the day and calls the ceremony "game time." The cars revving and idling provided the perfect ambience for the moments before Jeevan leaves for the temple.

Naveen's prep was much more calm, and almost tense until her uncle had an emotional moment. He told Naveen about the first time he saw her, when she was small enough to hold in his hands. Both he and Naveen had to pause and collect themselves. It was a dark, overcast morning, but suddenly the sun and one narrow window aligned and I was able to capture a beautiful moment of Naveen with the light falling on her face.

There are a lot of shots in the video that I love, but I'll just write a bit about the slomo ring shot about 1/3 through. Chermaine and I positioned the rings on one of the tabla used during the ceremony. We created some movement with Jeevan's wedding band and recorded it at 60 frames per second. Over and over. We dropped it, spun it and rolled it again and again until capturing what you see here. When it falls, you hear the actual sound of the rings colliding, slowed down and pitch shifted by 250%. The rings jiggle like wrestlers on a canvas mat. Sports analogies always fit.

Saturday, November 19, 2011

I feel like my life has changed gradually and I've become less European and more Canadian over the years. I was born here to Norwegian parents, and it took me a very long time to absorb the fact that I am not European but rather Canadian. My city is not Bergen but Vancouver. Finally, largely as a result of finding a home in the wedding industry; as a result of finding friends and inspiration in this wonderful work I try to do in videography, I feel like I've arrived and settled.

But then you meet someone who makes you look back to who you were; perhaps to what you've left behind and need to rediscover. Nicole and Matt are capital "E" European. They are at home and successful here in Canuckland, but they are on a different, older, and perhaps more profound wavelength. From Nicole I received a rarity: well-written e-mails full of clever turns of phrase. For their honeymoon, she and Matt went not to Cancun or Hawaii but to the Danube River.

At the wedding, the written word - that is, the hand-written word - was put on a pedestal. I imagine a few of the guests struggled a bit to actually write on the postcards and on the map after typing and tapping their way through so many correspondences.

Stepping into the Wedgewood Hotel in the morning was like entering a dimension I didn't know existed in Vancouver. It was slightly odd and yet comforting. Inside, the diction, the furs, and the makeup all felt classic and old world. In addition to creating the ur-garter, Nicole's mother took the dress-tightening role. When she asked Nicole how tight she'd like the dress to be, Nicole answered, "Like the 18th century." I had to stop filming.

Melia Sorenson and I took turns sharing some of the tighter spaces during the prep. As always, it was thrilling working with her. And really, it's just a good sign when a client has hired Melia to take their photos. Her work is so arty and striking... and yes, old world. Roaming around Stanley park with her and M&N was perfect with the weather and colours at their fall peak. Then came the excitment of scrambling to just the right location to take advantage of a last-second sunburst.

Another slice of a different time was Stanley Park Pavilion, Nicole and Matt's reception venue. It's a dark, woody space that resides in our gorgeous left-of-central park. I've never seen it glow and sparkle like it did with the stunning decor installed by Tanya and Kezia for this wedding. At the end of the night we experimented with light and shone every beam available at the mirror ball that hangs from the SPP ceiling. The result was a glowing light puncuated by 80's rotating sparkles. And in a baby city like Vancouver, sometimes the 80's is old world enough.

Thursday, October 27, 2011

I still get nervous before weddings. Before every wedding. I just did a count and I've filmed over 110 weddings. But I still feel like I can't really be sure how a given wedding is going to turn out. Which videos are going to be the ones that really stand out.

This wedding came at a sort of hinge point: the day before our trip to Hawaii. There was so much to sort out the previous week, and my friends know how crazy the Friday before the wedding was. But when I showed up at Joy's parents place Saturday morning, I felt ready and inspired. Relaxed. It helped that Ellen was the photographer.

Also brilliant was the fact that Joy had hired Jayna and booked her celebrity package - meaning that Jayna would be at her side throughout the day keeping her drop dead gorgeous. I told Jayna that I would write the following in this blog entry: Even if Jayna was a terrible makeup artist, I'd still recommend that brides hire her. Because... she is amazing. She'll take great care of you. She will be your advocate, your cheerleader and your most honest voice to help you navigate what is a very challenging day. But guess what. On top of all that, she IS a phenomenal makeup artist. Hire her.

The wedding speaks for itself: gorgeous. The couple: so wonderful, so sweet, and so inspiring. Traipsing around Steveston with Joy, Preston and Ellen was like a photo walk - just pure creation and fun. I found myself filming a bee with a wide angle lens, and that shot is my favourite in the video.

This day felt like a farewell just before our departure - and in other ways - and it was wonderful to share it with Joy, Preston, Ellen and Jayna. Thank you.

"Patrick, today I stand before my closest family and friends, to promise to love you, respect you and support you. People may think that you're a lucky man. But I know that I'm the lucky one. I get to spend the rest of my life with a man whose patience, integrity and humanity inspire me. Your smile warms my whole body. I promise that I will laugh with you and cry with you, and share everything that life will bring us. I will cherish you as my husband, but not only as my husband; as my greatest partner in life."

There's not much I could add to Miranda's vows. They made Patrick cry so be careful watching. It was wonderful to film another Mah sister wedding. Like Judy and Derek's wedding, it was in October, and again we got to hang out with two amazing families. I felt a little like a member of the family myself, sharing a wonderful day with familiar faces and voices. And... again we got a parking ticket!! Is that considered good luck by anyone?

Hats off to Chermaine and Cedric, who filmed the first look, photo shoot and ceremony on their own while I was attending the Bling wedding show. Cedric, on Steadicam, even stole my favourite shot. But I'm fine with it.

Thursday, October 20, 2011

I've told quite a few people that at every wedding, there is a moment when I feel deeply touched emotionally. Honestly we do film many many weddings and let's just say there are patterns - there can be a sameness after a while. But it never fails, at some point during the day I'll find myself moved. To the point that I can go outside myself and experience what I'm seeing as a brand new person. I've found that this is truly what motivates me. For better or worse I'm not motivated by what is normally considered important.

At Ka Wai and Ed's wedding, the moment came during the ceremony, when the whole congregation sang together. I am not a religious person, but it was overwhelming. A mass of people singing with conviction and belief is hard to resist. At moments like that

Ed introduced his own symbolic element into his wedding, handing out swords and leather wristbands emblazoned with the names of his groomsmen and best friends; those who had "fought" alongside him for Ka Wai. I had met Ed at Ivy and Gordon's wedding last year, and similar to their wedding he wanted a crazy, high energy reception. He definitely got it. Perhaps he didn't bargain for being chased around Fairmont Pacific Rim with bottles and glasses full of "refreshments."

Speaking of FPR, dontcha love the opening shot? Signage is so fun. The intro is a little overboard epic, but I think it somehow works: it matches that serious expression that is so often on Ed's face, and contrasts perfectly with Ka Wai's hilarious comment. Yes she and her girls were in no rush at all, as if time didn't exist. Ka Wai and her sisters are definitely a unique bunch.

Ed and his fellow crusaders were put through a myriad of games, that began with Ed signing away his life. Ed's legal friend - who you'll see later wiping the sweat from Ed's neck - advised him that contract was indeed legal, but that he was signing it under duress. All this under cover of umbrellas with rain beating down. But the weather as it so often does turned magically and became dry and finally partly sunny during the funky photo shoot with Blue Olive.

I'm happy that I was able to tie a nice bow on the video with the shot of Ka Wai and Ed on the balcony of their hotel suite. The room itself was so gorgeous that bride and groom suddenly decided to hold their tea ceremony there. But not before relaxing and enjoying some time as husband and wife.

We have met some of our favourite clients through the amazing Nancy Chen, whose wedding we filmed back in 2009. Irene and Ali are no exception. I always love meeting and chatting with couples, and the meetings often go overtime because we keep finding great stuff to chat about. Hanging out with Irene and Ali was a blast. A lot of time was spent at the JJ Bean and the Starbucks at Main and 14th.

These two met through friends at UBC, and it was a natural choice for them to have their photo shoot at that campus and their wedding at the University Golf Club. Part of the photo shoot with the unbelievably nice Scott D Johnson took place in a secret stand of trees where several study hours were squandered. There's one shot in the video that could be someone's point of view during those days.

Irene finished her studies just before her wedding, and as is common for those who have just completed a stressful period of their life, she promptly got sick. Poor Irene lost her voice. She tried to speak as little as possible during the day, and desribed her voice as a "frog voice." To me it just makes the excerpt of her speech we included extra touching.

Ali is in the midst of his engineering studies. At one meeting, Irene cracked a joke about having a shot in the video of Ali studying the blueprints of a camera while opening the device up, and proceeding to electrocute himself. I later found out that this is a factual thing that happened to Ali. I've never heard of anything like that! So funny.

After their speech, Irene and Ali introduced what they described as their "cheesy Iranian wedding video." They had gotten officially married in the home country and had a very unique video produced. They told me earlier that the whole point of the Vancouver wedding was the the video we would create for them. Irene and Ali, I like how you think!

Monday, October 3, 2011

Filmed at the Vancouver Art Gallery, this video takes you behind the scenes of the Fall/Winter 2011 Perfect Wedding Magazine shoot. Photographer David Fierro creates sumptuous romantic imagery that must truly be seen to be believed. Make sure to pick up your copy of Perfect Wedding Magazine.

Four of the top Wedding Planning & Decor companies in Vancouver installed their work at the gallery, displaying four stunning visions of wedding perfection.

Thursday, September 29, 2011

For our 100th blog post, we'd like to invite you to join us at the 2011 Bling Boutique Bridal Show at the Rosewood Hotel Georgia. It's this coming Sunday, October 2nd. Mingle with some of the leading vendors in the wedding industry. We're a friendly bunch! We had a powwow at the Rosewood a while back, and I put together this video to show the newest old hotel in Vancouver just as it being unwrapped. Seems like a stunning place to hold a wedding; I cannot wait to film a first dance in the ballroom!

Hope to see you on Sunday! You may need to hunt for me; if you see someone prowling around with a huge camera, that's me!

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

We were not able to share this video since filming it back in March, and believe me it has been hard keeping it a secret. We had to keep the video under wraps while the wedding was being considered by Martha Stewart Weddings. This week we received the news that MSW would be featuring the wedding, and our video has been shared on the Martha Stewart Weddings Blog. Very very exciting.

Every wedding has a theme. Something that inspires and unifies every aspect of the planning and design. There's no better way to create a theme than flying literally everyone in to your favourite winter getaway to celebrate with you. Planner, decorator, band, photographer, and all the guests made the trip to our world-famous ski village for Steve and Alden's wedding. It could not have been more lavish or perfect, with a wall of lights that became a starry sky as the light faded during the ceremony, jaw dropping decor set off by pine cones and hot toddies at the reception, and mini-lanterns to help the guests find their way to the after party at the Four Seasons Residences. And finally matching UGGs for the girls to keep warm on the trek.

Given Alden & Steve's connection with music, and music videos, there was just a teeny bit of pressure to get this video right. I actually struggled having TOO MANY sweet shots and perfect sound bites. The amazing song by Barcelona (iTunes link) helped a lot. As did the incredible mood set by The Cheeseballs! And of course a big thank you to Michele Davidson of Modern Celebrant for setting a magical tone with her voice and her words.

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

I almost feel like it's a cheese factor when certain shots in a video link with lyrics in the song we've used. Listen for "where this road is going to lead me, " "turn the page" and "down this road" and notice the shots at those moments. These are definitely not intentional or even wanted really, but when they happen I feel like I'm on the right track with my editing choices.

And you know you're watching a Love Story Media video when 80% of the shots have lens flares. Hey, well, the sun was there so we had to use it. There's also a pretty interesting lens flare in the final shot from the reception. And speaking of weather, Bergan and Patrick lucked out with some very dramatic clouds during the photo shoot. Photographers will appreciate that the clouds came pre-graded :)

We decided to come along for some of the photos at Iona Beach though that was not the original plan, and B&P just attacked it with us. They were ready for anything, including climbing and descending the precarious stairs of the tower for some gorgeous images. Bergan even asked Patrick to stay behind so I could get a shot of her epic train as it poured down the steps. I included an extra long shot involving an airplane that Cedric is very proud of.

I do want to make sure to mention Raymond and Jesse, who are always so so great to work with. If there are nicer and more energetic photographers out there, we haven't met them. And we can always count on beautiful photo shoots with them on the vendor list.

Looking back on the edit, I'm amazed that I survived without including any bride-putting-on-white-dress shots. It just didn't need to be there - though there are some absolutely stunning shots that Bergan will have to wait to see in the main feature. I believe we did include enough details of this very unique dress, as well as a detail of Patrick's very cool tux. Note the cut from the collar of his tux to the close-up of his face. His chin appears in the first shot but not the second. When you cut between two shots of the same subject without changing the scale, you shouldn't include anything shown in the first image in the second. In this cut, there's no overlap between the two shots of Patrick whatsoever. That makes me happy!

My favourite element of the day was Patrick's blindfold. He needed to wear it so that he could travel with Bergan to the church yet not see her until she appeared at the end of the aisle. Some people think of everything!

I first met Amanda Wood while filming a wedding in 2007. She was performing at the reception, and without being sure why, I stole some time from covering the actual reception mingling that was going on to capture four complete performces of jazz standards by Mandy. I was hooked. Her voice, her style and her charisma made it obvious: she was a rising star. We connected after the wedding and I sent her a DVD of the songs I captured, and soon after, she hired me to film an engagement at Crush Lounge.

Fastforward 4 years and Amanda is releasing a brand new album of the most singable, hook-filled contemporary jazz you'll ever hear. Think of her as the female Michael Buble. And as the girl next door. As I told Mandy throughout the process of making this video, her personality is so winning that it should be the centre of any marketing campaign for her music. And so I made it the centre of this behind the scenes video, filmed while Amanda was putting the finishing touches on her new, gorgeous album, "On My Way To You."

Friday, September 23, 2011

Kamal and Deepak are the second couple we've worked with who had a double wedding. But unlike Tim and Dilshad, both their weddings happened on the same day. Make no mistake, it was a long day. Following several other long days. By the end of the 4th night and the end of the video, Kamal really appears ready for bed. We were as well.

Deepak is a top notch man, efficient, dutiful, and always upbeat. Maybe this is what it's like working with the best kind of actor; someone always at ease, always looking sharp. He constantly deferred to Kamal, saying, "It's what she wants."

Kamal is a forceful woman seemingly made of some type of Indian steel. There's a very hard but warm look in her eye. Together, K and D will move mountains.

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Vivian and Chris were united on a fine day in September, when the first leaves began to curl and amber, hastened by chilling gusts of wind. Sun scorched rooftops hid rushed preparations for the coming nuptial, such as playing outdated Nintendo games and sipping from a near endless supply of mead.

Really this was a very interesting day, with Viv's family an assortment of people seemingly and in some cases actually from the Hong Kong television world. They were all ready for their close-ups, even when they weren't ready. Over to Chris' prep and omg the game was afoot. I was pretty sure I'd need to bleep some of the utterances for the SDE. There were not only liquids but solids as well, with Chris' mom telling us to eat then leading by example.

Ceremony and photos were a blast but the reception topped everything. Honestly usually the reception is anticlimactic - all the big stuff is done and from a visual standpoint it's just people sitting around eating. Not at this wedding. At this wedding they were standing around drinking. Totally different. Then the 80's music kicked in. Do these people pose in front of mirrors memorizing the lyrics and coming up with random insane moves to go with the music? They must. My stomach hurt after filming for a while, I could not stop laughing. Way too fun. Yes I will help myself to the midnight snack = giant pile of McDonalds hamburgers. Perfect night. With the grumpy Law Courts staff looking on what a riot. Maybe the expletive- and puke-image-filled video put together by the groomsmen had something to do with that.

But I digress! It was an awesome day filled with funky artsy people and beneath all the silly craziness Viv and Chris really really love each other and put on an amazing party for their friends. I hope the video - along with the awesome Junk of the Heart - captures the vibe of this day.

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Day 1 of our two wedding weekend was the uber chill Angela and Cam. They invited us to relax and enjoy the day with them. Angela even told me to take breaks whenever I wanted/needed. That's against my religion but I appreciated the offer!

Ang and Cam - or "Camgie" - have been together for ages. Ang mulled the idea of not even bothering with a wedding since it was just a formality for them. But having all their family and very closest friends come together to celebrate and more or less chill together made it more than worthwhile.

Exchanging compliments all day and imbibing fluids all day these two really set out to enjoy the day and I have to be honest that had an impact on the first dance. While dancing, Ang commented that Cam should switch to drinking water. I think Cam replied that this sounded like a strange idea.

Whatever they are doing, it's working, and the emotions that went on during the speeches was memorable. The photo shoot took advantage of our local forests, beaches and most of all sunlight. I did some sun worshipping myself in this video, with mayybe just enough lens flares! And Ang and Cam's lovely Kits house provided the perfect backdrop for the first part of the day.

Friday, September 2, 2011

This was such a fun one! Some couples are so different and quirky and in Jen and Geoff's case sarcastic and self-deprecating that it's hard to get a read on them. What would impress them? How can I make a video that's hip enough for them? What type of song would be un-lame enough? It's funny that in the end, everyone turns out to have a heart of gold.

I was lucky enough to shoot this wedding with Ellen; we've shot quite a few together this year. We chatted just after the ceremony, and she told me that she cried during the ceremony. I said, at which part? It was the same part where I sorta lost it. After the ceremony and during the signing, Jen's choir got up to sing a couple of songs. Suddenly Jen ran up and joined them and they launched into "Mr. Wonderful" obviously dedicated to Geoff. Finally Jen returned to Geoff to sing the final chorus. Wow that really had an impact, and if there was a dry eye in the house I'd be shocked.

Another highlight of the day was the food. Not the actual food maybe but how it was presented and enjoyed. Scones and sandwiches were proffered during the prep and enjoyed by Jen most of all - *after* her getting her makeup! Scrumptious! There was a well-timed visit to McDonald's. The video ends on Jen savouring her wedding cake, which I think is fitting. But best of all was the groom cake. I don't think I can describe it, suffice to say that it was the ultimate man-cake and looked totally insane being wheeled out in the ballroom at Sutton. Geoff commented, "That is all kinds of awesome." I tried to make a video worthy of that type of comment!

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Maggie we love you. It's weddings like this that make all the hard work and grinding worthwhile. What? Grinding? Hard work? Yup. Wedding videography is hard. Some of those in film production would scoff at what we do, but think of it this way: For up to 12 hours at a time, we have to turn randomness into art. We have to make millions of decisions. And we have to practically film and edit at the same time, and come up with a show-stopping 4 minutes of content that spellbinds an entire reception. Ok, maybe it's really just me that expects all that, but that's where we set the bar.

And the number one thing we can ever receive in return is a simple comment like: "I can't stop watching your videos." or, "Your videos make me cry." Go back a few blog posts and you'll see that that's "why we do what we do."

Soon after discovering Love Story Media, Maggie and her friends/future bridesmaids bought stocks in Kimberly-Clark. This allowed Maggie to pay for her wedding despite a heavy kleenex investment. Sorry Maggie, I'll sent over another pallet soon.

So for this video we had our work cut out. I chose the most emotional song in my "SDE collection" and headed over to Maggie's. It was a truly beautiful day with one of the most stunning ceremonies I've witnessed. Ok it was really hot too. Way too hot. My steadicam vest got all icky. Anyway.

Next on the agenda was a killer photo shoot with Ellen, mostly at Fairmont Hotel Vancouver. I'm sure Maggie is enough of an LSM fan to pick out two shots I referenced from one of our vids from 2009.And finally a gorgeous reception at Kirin Richmond.

Sooo... what about the groomster? Arthur is Mr. Cool Cat. So chill and easy going. Unflappable. So maybe that's why the emotional centre of the day was where he almost lost it during the door games, when asked why he loves Maggie so much.

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Life is chaos, and happiness is embracing it for what it is. There was a lot of chaos to go around at this wedding, and most of it was really great.

Not so great were a vase being smashed on the walkway just before the ceremony and two other hiccups that caught Linda off guard. But she was very chill about it, finally saying "I guess what they say is true. Things don't always go exactly the way you want."

At the other end of the spectrum, Linda and Anthony come from two loud, rambunctious families, who basically took over during the morning and for a lot of the reception. The two hotel suites at Pinnacle at the Pier were crowded and noisy, full of hugging, hand shaking and excitedly chatting people.

There was a wrenching emotional moment during the tea ceremony when Linda's brother asked Anthony to take good care of her. Both brother and sister had to fight back tears.

The reception was more or less overrun by drinking and loud chatter. The speeches were almost drowned out and we had a very interesting showing of our same day edit. We chose to use Linda and Anthony's much preferred song, which led to many of the younger guests actually singing along and finally getting up and cheering before the video ended.

Craziness, but I could not wipe the smile off my face. Chaos is so fun.

When I write these blog entries I'm trying to capture something about the couple and who they are. But for some reason it's impossible. Hopefully I say what I really want to say in the video. Colleen and David were wonderful to meet and great to have as clients and friends. There's something about bright, open, fun people that I really dig.

They were a joy to work with on the day; on "my side" with Colleen and her girls there was an awesome chick flick vibe with everyone hanging out and enjoying a nice hair and makeup sesh. My fave shot is the crane down on the two bridesmaids in a hair-doing-train if you know which shot I mean. Oh and Jayna Marie was there so I knew it would be a fun, chill morning.

Colleen was so chipper and Dave was... well, Dave. I hope his emphatic but warm nature comes across in the video. And he provided some very "unique" sound bites :) And the man loves his music!

I just have to give a huge shout out to Evan/Flowerz. I've admired his work for quite a while but this wedding really blew my mind. The decor was incredible, jaw dropping and perhaps best of all *perfectly* suited the Convention Centre. The callas looked amazing and the glass "thingies" were pure art.

The night ended with the SDE and then a Jewish wedding ceremony. Technically a Jewish wedding can only happen on a Sunday but David and Colleen decided that 9pm was close enough to being the next day and went for it. Their friends crowded around and I could tell how much it meant to them to see their best friends get married once more.

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Vivian and Chris' lovely Brock House wedding!! For this video, we did not have to do a same day edit, so we spent the whole evening hanging out with Vivian and Chris, their guests, and Melody and Eric of Melody Davis Photography. It was really relaxing and fun! Of course we were filming and working but it's nice to enjoy a wedding as a semi-guest sometimes!

I was having a conversation recently and was asked, having seen so many couples and weddings, have I learned anything about what makes a couple so good together? What makes it work? First I said that you can never presume to know anything about someone else's life, unless you really know them. But then I said that basically some couples just have "it." They just click. When you see them together, you just know.

But let's get this out of the way: Chris describes himself as "boring." I have to admit I've never heard someone say that about themselves. "I'm the boring one." Vivian had said just before that Chris is "the creative one." Hmm. I think I can say that whatever the glue is that hold two people together, Vivian and Chris are covered in it. So sweet together. And a little silly too!

Friday, August 19, 2011

Preetinder and Manpreet met at a conference and carried on a long distance relationship right through to their wedding. Manpreet is a very tech-informed person and saw no issue with proposing to Preeti via skype. And of course frequently and happily took the short flight from Silicon Valley to Hollywood North to visit his beloved. Of the two, Manpreet is definitely the arty one. Definitely metro. So I can identify! He listened to the tabla performance with his eyes closed, drumming the rhythms on his knee as you'll see in a special shot in the video.

Preeti is always poised and always great to talk to, with that perfect mix of humor and seriousness. She transformed from an everyday gal to a princess for her wedding, but was only too happy to go back and really revel in the reception performances.

It helped that said performances were so fun and energetic. I don't really know this for sure but I think that being from the real Hollywood or thereabouts helps create some naturally talented performers. And that includes Manpreet himself, who got up and performed to a song written for a girl named Preeti.

The cutest moment happened somewhere on the road between the two doli locations after the ceremony. Preeti was absolutely wiped out and dozed off in the car. Manpreet waited a little while and then woke her up. I'm surprised his doesn't happen more often!

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Chatting with Arlene and Roman before the wedding, I heard a lot about the filipino traditions that would be incorporated into the day. From a purely selfish videographer point of view, the more "content" that'll be available to us the happier we are. I turned to Roman and asked what Czech traditions they were planning on including. He said he'd have to think about it. I didn't find out what it would be until the night before.

Let me just stop and say that editing a SDE is pure craziness and yet great things happen. Having the moment where the plate shatters right at that pause in the music is perfection, but I can't take any credit for it at all. It just happened that way. Thanks One Republic!

Anyway, Arlene is nothing if not resourceful and used the sweeping up component of this Czech tradition to put Roman to work. She stood aside and watched and laughed as he swept up the shards of the plate. I had to laugh ... and get a shot.

One of my favourite aspects of wedding videography is rubbing elbows with other great vendors. And I do like to give them each their moment when it's appropriate. Of course CC got a lot of screen time with the sumptuous bouquets and perfect decor - that worked so well in Horizons Restaurant. But I couldn't resist the Elsa Corsi product placement right off the top. I set up the rings with the box and did a medium shot with a 50mm lens. Then repeated the shot with a 100mm macro lens. Cutting from the medium to the close-up makes it pretty unmistakeable: Elsa was here!

Arlene made a last-minute trip to Jeweliette at Seymour and Georgia, and they specially opened the store so she could make her selection. I think it made her day.

I could go on and on. I'll just mention something that I keep doing in these videos: a reference to that private moment when the dress goes on. Doors closing and opening seem to have some kind of special meaning.

From a wedding filled with words to a wedding filled with music. I first met Reilley along with her parents and younger sister. It was impressed upon me right away that music would be an important component of the wedding. There would be several performances and Reilley herself would be playing violin during the ceremony. During the ceremony! Little did we know at the time the degree of concentration that would require.

Reilley is a person of strong conviction. She told me that immediately when she saw Erin's work she knew she had to hire her. The same applied to our videos; there was just no other option. As a hesitant, indecisive person I really admire someone who can just lock in on a decision and stick to it.

The day was modeled on the Royal Wedding earlier this year, with seemingly a doo-wop influence on the groomsmen's shoes. The tiara and Branden's tux were impossible to miss. Unfortunately it was such a muggy day and the church was a little underventilated, so one of those two items became a problem. The road of marriage is tough, and sometime the road to marriage can be rough. Doors were opened, buttons were loosened and Reilley took center stage and did not look back.

After a fun refreshing photo shoot with Erin we headed to Swan-e-set and were treated to an amazing non-music performance by Reilley, Branden and the bridal party, then some pretty stunning musical ones shortly after. We incorporated musical instruments throughout the video, and as a huge fan of classical music there is something special about a beautiful instrument. Also as a fan of structure it felt right to begin and end with a piano. The "88" encompassing all.

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

I love epic weddings, and I love sweet weddings. This wedding had both. The video begins with a reading from the ceremony, and when we played the video it totally threw off Aaron, who thought he was getting a totally different type of video than the uber sweet one we produced. This guy's voice is movie-trailer epic. It just had to go into the video. I found a short instrumental piece to create the background, and segued from that to David Choi's over the top sweet track when the reading segues from the "nevers" to the "always."

And the video segues into pure sweetville! Michelle has kept a journal and made the page with her August 1st 2011 entry available to us. Her gift to Aaron was a storybook version of their life together, fully illustrated and hard bound. They found big gold letters spelling "I DO" which we were happy to use in the video. Especially after Michelle arranged them so they didn't read, "DO I?" Great job Michelle ha ha.

Looking back, it was a day filled with words. The reading, the journal, the I DO, the overseas phone calls, Michelle's dad providing colour commentary while I filmed, and the JUST MARRIED foam letters on the car. Note to future grooms: if you drive an Audi you may need to pick up some industrial strength adhesive. Eventually it read JU T MARRIE. Cedric and I rocked out getting crazy driving shots along Arbutus and Burrard Bridge.

Need more sweetness? The first photo location was the bridge walkway at Waterfront Station, where Aaron first asked Michelle out. It was a crazy photo shoot with the amazing HN Wedding. Edison creates this incredible energy that has crowds forming and cheering. Seriously. This photo shoot was so epic I actually considered changing the song for the SDE. We first worked with HN Wedding two years ago and love every opportunity to shoot alongside them.

What else can I mention? My favourite shot is the behind the altar shot as everyone stands at the ceremony. So epic! But sweet too ;)

Two reasons why I love filming weddings are the built-in emotion of the day and the creative freedom I have as a videographer. I've often thought of doing promotional or "corporate" videography, but honestly I don't want someone in a suit telling me what to do. Someone in a bridal gown however… Let's face it - Amanda likes being in control. She sent me numerous very long e-mails in the weeks and months leading up to the wedding. I like to read e-mails on my blackberry, but when an e-mail doesn't fit in the screen I leave it for later. I left all Amanda's e-mails for later.

But don't get me wrong, I love input! Input = inspiration. Especially since on the day of her wedding, Amanda was super sweet and totally open to and enthusiastic about my ideas. She even let me get the funky dress-over-the-head shot I've never ever gotten before. Amanda was just so cheery and in love with being a bride. Strutting around coal harbour and thrusting her bouquet high into the air. Cute.

This was a day that began with iPad skyping from Italy and a lot of somethings blue. Even the candied almonds were robin's egg blue. Tasted good too. And during the photo shoot, there was something cylindrical. Cedric and I needed to refuel so we hit up a hot dog vendor, and he immediately offered free dogs to the bride and groom. He then told us we "had" to do a shot of Amanda and Dino munching the same hot dog. This led to a lot of comments from the bridal party, some romantic, some not.

Dino? Great guy. Super awesome. I loved his speech; great to see a guy who's willing to be open about his emotions. Makes me feel like I'm not alone!! And like Amanda his energy and exuberance throughout the day was phenomenal for the video. I got several shots of him skipping along, and he just went ahead and made "the jump" off of the burrard bridge pedestal without being asked OR begged by the photographers.

Speaking of, Jasalyn and Jason you rock!!! Can't wait until the next one.

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Following on winning the BC Wedding Award last year for Best Wedding Cinematography, we are now the proud recipients of the Spring 2011 DV Award for Wedding/Event Videography. I am so proud of the video below. And spent a very long time labouring on it (read more here) it's great to have the video recognized. But above all we are honoured to receive the DV Award and look forward to joining the competition again later this year.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Have you heard of "Underpromise, overdeliver"? It's a great way to ensure that your client is happy with the result of your work. However, I have to admit my approach is more, "Overpromise, overdeliver." At client meeting I get pretty pumped and start to envision the wedding and the SDE. And it's important as well to generate that excitement in the client.

Lisa was pumped from the get go. Getting video was a priority for her, it was just a matter of getting Ryan on board. I have to admit, I enjoy when someone is holding off on their enthusiasm; like, ok you can talk the talk but can you walk the walk. I really like proving myself ha ha.

Well, now we can count Ryan as a convert. He came right up to me after the SDE showed, butted into a conversation to tell me how much he loved the SDE. Made me pretty happy!

A big thing for Lisa was including Michi, her ridiculously cute dog who provides the intro comments. The surprise of the night was a belly dancer, who tore up the place and danced embarrassingly with most of the men.

Oh and working with Gina of Butter Media yet again was a blast! The photos were super fun as always.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

As a videographer I have to admit that often I'm more concerned with "vibe" and mood than story. My company is called Love Story Media, and it's true that our "classic" videos are based on the story of the couple as told through soundbites, vows and speeches. But there's something so overwhelming about emotion all by itself that it can be a lot more fun using a video to just create mood. Each shot builds up the feeling and by the end of the video I'm hoping there's both a smile and tears on your face.

Irene and Ryan ... how can I put it ... What an upbeat and happy vibe! The constant smiles and laughter! Their voices - just so cheerful! At our last meeting Irene asked me to use this incredibly catchy song by Craig Smart. It turned out to be the perfect match for the bubbly, poppy vibe that was happening on this day.

The groomsmen were standouts in the morning, treating the door games like an Olympic event, or some kind of MIT challenge. For their song performance, they marked up the lyrics they were given and proceeded to make photocopies before starting to sing. They fanatically passed seaweed and gnawed at bananas. Ryan commented, "I don't want to know why you're so good at that."

The gifts - love pre-weddings gifts! - were a lot of fun. Hey and anytime an Apple product gets unwrapped it's a great day. And I can guarantee that the video above is looping on that iPad right now!

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Coming at the end of a three wedding weekend, this was such a beautiful and refreshing day at Swan-e-set. Sometimes in the middle of a ceremony it just hits me how beautiful and wonderful it is. This was our first Hindi wedding ceremony. Something about the words and the little ceremonies really got to me. So beautiful. The setting was just unbelievable. Alicia from DreamGroup did an outstanding job and a lot of jaws dropped when they saw the ceremony setup.

We met Niralee and Amit for the first time at their wedding and both they and their families were so warm and welcoming. Wish we had had more time with them!

Thanks so much to Amish Solanki for his help and inspiration throughout the day.

Stephine and Mike are not the most rambunctious crazy couple but they have that calm ease of being with "the one." Together they just look so relaxed and happy. Stephine predicts that Mike is having a rough morning, perhaps losing it a bit. And indeed, when he takes his position at the church all the assembled guests notice he has mis buttoned his jacket. Cute moment.

The whole day was very warm and friendly, from Stephine's family happily watching us do detail shots in the morning - love the bouquet - to the guests we interviewed at the reception. Also warm was the weather, with perfect time lapse clouds we took advantage of all weekend.

The night ended beautifully with Mike's brother performing along with a recorded track at the reception. It's always great to see someone passionate and so intense about performing. And visitors to this blog know how much I love to capture people playing music. But that'll have to wait for Steph and Mike's main feature.

Saturday, July 2, 2011

Certain weddings have "epic" written all over them. We continually reach for our wide angle lenses to give it that feeling of grandeur and to take it all in. And we dig for a piece of music that will match this incredible vibe.

800 guests, a jammed schedule of events, and a Maserati... hmm that smells pretty epic. But most of all, Jesse and Christina's incredible home, which like the dress a couple of blog posts back became a character in the story.

Jesse and Christina were amazing to work with and took great care of us. There were videographer and photographer feedings throughout the day. I can honestly say it helped the video! I had only managed one hour of sleep and the samosas really kept me going.

The best moment of the night came when the song for the grand entrance began playing. Ohh it's an 80's song... and... huh? Why would they want to use "Jesse's Girl"? Ohhhh. Sweet.

It was amaaaazing working with Ellen of Hong Photography again!! Can't wait to see her photos!!

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Personalized vows. Everyone should do it. Often couples ask me to give them advice, to give them a recommendation to help make their wedding video - or even just their wedding - better. I say, "Be yourself. And make your wedding about you. Bring out your personalities through all the details of your wedding." Mimi and Aaron planned their wedding for a year and a half solid and did not need much advice. But my eyes lit up when they told me they were writing their own vows.

We met up before the wedding and Mimi mentioned that only about half of her guests would be present at the ceremony. That and the early time frame for playing the same day edit meant that we should focus on the ceremony. And on those beautiful personalized vows. So while editing my first move was to lay down the audio: one song each with their vows overtop, broken up to allow the piece to breathe. Then I built up the images, cutting to them speaking their vows at key moments. As always, the editing came down to the wire, but having a structure to begin with really really helped.

Working with Ellen of Hong Photography was as always fantastic, and we both enjoyed getting shots of Mimi's super cute dog Kobe in his tux. We had focused on him for a little while in the morning, but Mimi asked us, "Should we get some more shots of Kobe?" Important little guy.

And I can't not mention the film connection here: Aaron is an actor and has an amazing production company and has now gone on to direct his own films. With his talent, drive and outlook, this is someone who will go all the way. Especially with Mimi at his side.

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Would it be weird to devote an entire blog entry to a dress? Ok some dresses are just un-be-lieve-a-ble. The moment Erin Gilmore and I saw Jinny's dress our eyes popped out and our jaws dropped. Whatever is going on with those glitzy jewelly things really works and the dress is a stunner.

However, there were other things at this wedding. Such as the non-subtle colour scheme of hot pink and neon green. A pig instead of a cake. Surprise fireworks. A surprise proposal (Jinny's brother). A surprise birthday party. Also there were the perfect pair venues, Fairmont Pacific Rim and the Convention Centre. Erin Gilmore. Oh and I loved Jinny's shoes, which Erin described as ballet slippers, but yeah not your ordinary ballet slippers.

So endless eye candy and a tightly knit group of friends came together for an unforgettable wedding. Ray got a little intense towards the end coordinating the fireworks barge, and it had been a long week of logistics and details that finally came to a perfect conclusion when the first bang went off and brought Jinny out of her seat. Ray is sort of a James Bond type, with all sorts of tricks up his sleeve and a knack for the completely unexpected. I'm sure he'll keep Jinny guessing and on her ballet toes for years to come.

One of the most touching moments of the day came at the very end of the reception. Just after the fireworks, Jinny's brother Simon invited his girlfriend out to the balcony to enjoy the view. Watch and see what happened after that.

Sunday, June 19, 2011

When we are doing a same day edit, the day goes by very quickly. Today was no exception, despite filming over 16 hours. This was one of those special weddings where we feel totally included and part of the family right from the beginning. Between all the many many moments and locations we covered today, Maria & Mario did everything in their power to make sure we felt welcome and were having fun just as much as their bridal party. We also appreciated having so much input from the bridesmaids and groomsmen, not least the impromptu mandolin dance in the middle of the photo shoot.

The day was absolutely packed with eye candy, photo locations and "stopovers" at various stores for refreshments. Insanity on the limobus... Kudos for the stop at Fairmont Pacific Rim, where the partying continued while Maria had her hair done. There was just enough time to squeeze in a brief photo session.

Taking the photos was the amazing Dave Custodio. He is a busy man and does not need my plug here, but it's been great working with Dave and Danny over the years. So much fun running around being irresponsible and getting endless great shots with these two. They are absolute pros.

Assisi, Fairmont, Law Courts; all great venues, but the best was the one built by Mario Cirillo: the amazing home he made for himself and Maria. Here's hoping we can make that two day party a reality heh heh.

Sunday, June 12, 2011

We first met Cindy and Greg at Cynthia and Ed's wedding last year. From the moment they saw C&E's SDE they knew they wanted to book with us. They even told us they were not going to bother shopping around. I have to say, it really is inspiring when a client has total confidence in your work.

Saturday was a perfect day, and the inspiration level got boosted even further when we arrived at Cindy's suite at River Rock Casino. Great relaxed mood there, with Cindy and the bridesmaids casually preparing one of the most gruelling sets of door games ever devised. Watch for the wasabi squirting out of the yummy sour candy. A couple visits to the porcelain altar were made, believe me.

Cindy's dress and just her mood were so light and refreshing and filming her and her "rock" Greg was a joy throughout the day. And we finally got to shoot with Miranda of Blue Olive! So so much fun, and I really have to tip my hat for the jaw dropping photo location she found.

And for those who don't understand, in the beginning Cindy is egging Greg on, telling him to chase her. The hunt is on!

Music is of course by The Smashing Pumpkins. Finally got to use this perfect song! (iTunes link.)

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Let's be honest: a lot of weddings are all about the bride. Her dreams for the wedding all come to the fore and the groom is pushed into the background. Sometimes literally to the background if you see what happens in some photo shoots. When it comes to wedding I guess men are sometimes reduced to out-of-focus arm candy.

Danny's profile pic on Facebook is himself on his yellow Ducati. At our first meeting, Danny told me that his motorbike was "kinda like my bride dress." A detailed construction-avoiding route to Mei's house was planned, and Danny recruited 12 bikers to ride with him along with three vehicles on the journey from Burnaby to Richmond. The morning was chaotic, with riders arriving and being prepped and wired with radios, and bikes and cars being mounted with our cameras. First wedding I've been to where we were an hour behind schedule after an hour of the itinerary.

There's always a leap of faith as we attach our cameras to a moving vehicle… How will the shot look? Will the vibrations be too much? Will the camera still be there at the next stop?

In the end the cameras (a 5D with a 24mm lens and a GoPro HD) were just fine. However, Danny's radio somehow fell out and was crushed, one of the grill mounted dolls was lost, and a rider who shall remain nameless was separated from the pack after the ceremony. It may not be worth mentioning that my hair got mussed a little while leaning out the window with an upside down monopod as we ripped along at 100 km/h. And the wind was deafening.

Also hard to ignore was the walkie talkie chatter. It was hilarious to hear Danny and his best man calling each other "Iceman" and "Maverick" like it was the most natural thing, and Cedric recorded an awesome soundbite that helped form the intro section of the video. With help from Lucky, Danny's arowana.

The survivors of the morning enjoyed an absolutely gorgeous wedding at Mayfair Lakes. This was our first wedding at this lovely location and our next is this coming Saturday! Mei and Danny had been watching the forecasts, and gradually the prediction for Saturday improved as the week wore on. In the end it was a nearly cloudless day with a slight breeze and more than enough sunlight for photos and sunburn to go around.

Thursday, May 26, 2011

It's becoming more common for couples to book with us not having met us, just on the basis of referrals and the work on our blog and website. Connected to that, it's becoming common for young couples to be so busy that they barely have time to breathe in the course of a day. Vancouver is now officially a big city, and not that easy any more to succeed in, and certainly not easy to buy property in.

The result is couples like Samien and Chris, who are so tightly knit together and so very much in love that the casual observer would think they've known each other for life. I actually felt envious when meeting them for the first time just before the wedding. The love they obviously feel for each other is the stuff of movies. And did we ever hit it off! We could not stop talking about everything under the sun and honestly discussing the wedding itself was just the icing on the cake. Plus, we met at Caffè Artigiano which was a bonus!

For this video I went for a very classical elegant feel. I used a great song I'd been saving I even changed settings on the camera to allow the lenses' natural vignetting to come through. Look at the corners of the frame and notice how they're a bit shaded. This vignetting gives a slight antique feel, which I though suited the vibe of this uber classy wedding. I also love how the video begins and ends in Farsi, thanks to Chris' mastery of that language - in additional to French and Italian! Hmm, maybe he's not as busy as I thought.

It was SO great to catch up with Gina Chong at Butter Media, my closest colleague and one of the nicest people on the planet. From setting up the first look to the photo shoot to sharing the tight spaces during the ceremony, she was, as always, a joy to work with. And her recommendation to Samien and Chris was how we found each other, so thanks Gina!

Finally I should make special mention of Cedric Yu, who has filmed the vast majority of weddings with me over the past year and a half. His resourcefulness, tirelessness and amazing detail shots have allowed our videos to continually improve. The ring shot that closes this video is, I think, the best one he's ever done. Notice how the shape of the ring matches the outline of the flowers. See more of Cedric's work here.

Sunday, May 8, 2011

You can't always finish what you start. Johanna could not finish her mondo slice of pizza. And not being a fan of the spotlight, she did her best to sabotage the first dance by suddenly hugging Jojie like it was over and signalling "Cut!" Nice try!

The ring bearer spent the morning shrieking uncontrollably, and hence was tuckered out when the ceremony rolled around. You can see he's only too happy to go back to sleep while his dad bears the rings on his behalf. Big show, no results.

And often, wedding plans are difficult to turn into reality. The big exciting dreams can get too overwhelming, and in the end many couples trim the fat and simplify their weddings. Not Johanna & Jojie! The 10 per side bridal party? Yup, they did it. Giant blue school bus instead of limo? Check.

The idea was to be a rock band on a tour bus, with the groomsmen being the band the and bridesmaids being the groupies obviously. From the slick Reservoir Dogs shades to the actual rock performances at the reception with a full drum kit, oh yeah they were a rock band with crazy mask-wearing groupies.

So just like the Canucks are going to (eventually) eliminate Nashville, Johanna and Jojie got married and finished what they started on their very first date, the moment Jojie realized that she was the one.

Friday, April 29, 2011

As the 2011 wedding season truly gets underway, and after weeks of depriving all those lovely followers of this blog, I wanted to share some insight into why we do it. Why we come back year after year trying to top our previous work. Why each approaching wedding is a combination of inspiration, excitement, and a bit of nervousness. Rather than struggling to find the right words to express it, I'll simply share the following video. At Moet and David's wedding last year we created one of my favourite SDEs ever. Someone quickly set up a camera to capture the couple's reaction as they saw their video for the first time.

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Ah, the wedding industry. There are certain places and faces that keep coming up; and grateful we are as they are so awesome and intrinsic to our BC wedding milieu. Take Swan-e-set. We filmed FIVE weddings there in 2010. Crazy. But there's no end to the ways to film a wedding there, and we always look forward to going there!

The "face" in question is that of Brent Sheppard. He presided over the very first wedding I filmed professionally, and I have lost count of how many LSM weddings he's been a part of. He's super fun, AND he knows how to wear a tie.

So we do love the sweet repetition in this industry. But sometimes you need to change it up, yo. So for this wedding I brought along a super 8 camera and snapped off a few shots. Please watch for the grainy and gorgeous shots here and there, and ask me about how you, too can have a "super 8 wedding."

I also got a little carried away with car shots at this wedding, apologies. There's something about shiny objects that move. I will not apologize for the crazy blue car shot, which I happily risked my life to get.

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

I had a great and very long chat with Christine and Dennis back in January 2010, where they shared some of their plans for the wedding. Christine excitedly described her search for a glittery dress, and her lack of success thus far. In the end, she chose to have the glitter applied directly to her skin. It was almost a sci-fi look but in a good way :)

The sparkles even found their way into the sky during the first dance with an amazing fireworks display that had everyone whooping and cheering. It was such well kept surprise that I didn't know about it myself until just before the first dance. Don't tell Sarah Shore of DreamGroup I didn't read the itinerary! Thanks Lisa of Ophelia Photography for clueing us in. You can see her photos here.

Every table was adorned with a vase with one fighting fish, but luckily when Dennis had his "Greek moment" he happened to smash a non-fish-containing vase. It took him a few moments to collect himself and yell, "Opa!"

Christine and Dennis are one of those couples that define for their friends what a REAL relationship is, and left no doubt in anyone's mind that they are prepared to out-cute and most definitely out-kiss all comers.

Sunday, January 23, 2011

{ Alex calls herself our "biggest fan" and indeed generates a good portion of the hits drawn by this blog. She has had unbelievable enthusiasm about the process of creating the video and has sent numerous e-mails about imagery and music. I'm really looking forward to hearing your comments Alex! }

It's always an honour to be chosen to film someone's wedding, but sometimes the honour is particularly intense. Alex and Adam have been together for practically forever. They've been friends since they were small. I think when you meet someone, and for as long as you love them, you carry a piece of who you were when you met. Perhaps this explains the extremely cute and childish tricks and games A&A play with one another, such as Alexandra's trademark fakeout-kiss that Adam likes to fall for, over and over.

The venue on this day was Hatley Castle, located just west of Victoria on Vancouver Island. When I found out where the wedding was happening, my mind raced to figure out how to best utilize the location. And to be honest, I was just in love with the word "castle." While we were filming, the grounds seemed to come alive with creatures, as you might see in a Disney film - or perhaps a Miyazaki. Bumblebees, hummingbirds, and peacocks flying and roaming around. You may even see a happy centipede if you watch closely. In the end, the castle itself became one of the important characters in this film. And how fitting that, like Alex and Adam's love, the castle has been around longer than anyone can remember, and will remain forever.

As an experiment I spent quite a lot of time on the sound for this video. The majority of the sounds in the first half are not the real sounds but were added to enhance the visuals. There is wind, bumblebee buzzing, hummingbird humming, a distant peacock call, a scissor snip and a a variety of jangling and tinkling sounds. Put on a pair of headphones and see what else your ears can discover.

Speaking of ears, the song is To Build a Home by The Cinematic Orchestra. It's one of those beyond perfect pieces I've been waiting to use; now the moment has arrived! Similar to the title of this song, I feel like I built this video brick by brick as you would a castle, given how much planning and care went into it and how structured and perfect I tried to make it.

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

I first met Ashlee and Giovanni in early 2009, at a small coffee shop in East Vancouver. "You must really hate Starbucks" I commented, since Giovanni had specifically chosen this indie cafe which was right next to one of the ubiquitous roasters. "Gotta look out for the little guy" was Giovanni's response. These two are so caring and considerate in every facet of their lives. They are so loved by their friends and take fabulous care of each other.

And by now they should definitely know how. Ashlee and Giovanni are accomplished actors, and on this day finally got truly married, after having done so countless times already on stage. They had some trouble escaping their own fame though, with TV cameras chasing them up the steps of the church.

Couldn't have asked for nicer weather or venues, plus an overall warm vibe matching the golden hues of the evening sun.

Sunday, January 2, 2011

One month ago today, the 2010 wedding season was brought to a close at The Professional BC Wedding Awards, held at District 319. A horde of your beloved and hard-working wedding pros stood elbow to elbow, munching hors d'oeuvres and catching up after a particularly busy year. Then came the awards presentation.

We were so happy to see our friends Felicia Bromba and Dan and Kat Stone win their well-deserved awards. Suddenly it was time for the videography award, and we were stunned and ecstatic when "Love Story Media" was called. It's been a crazy year, and nothing could have capped it off better.

So we'd like to take this opportunity to thank all our wonderful couples, who have been so fun and inspiring to work with. You are the ones that give us the chance to do what we love, and we thank you.

In case you haven't seen it, here's the video we submitted, the highlights from our first wedding of 2010.